Echo Valley 26809
by AnnieM
Summary: Scully takes a walk down memory lane...


I wrote this under the name "Krychick" and posted it to ATXFC in June 1998.  
  
TITLE: "Echo Valley 2-6809" (1/1)  
AUTHOR: Krychick...aka AnnieM  
E-MAIL: Achtung-Baby@juno.com   
RATING: PG, for 1 or 2 not-so-bad swears.   
CATEGORY: S, V; H, with a light dusting of A.  
SPOILERS: Oh, maybe ''Beyond the Sea' and Paper Clip'.  
KEYWORDS: Mulder/Scully friendship.  
SUMMARY: Scully's impulse purchase leads our favorite agents on a journey  
down memory lane...  
  
DISCLAIMER: If you think that I created these characters, I'm flattered.  
:-) They are in fact the children of the Big Kahuna...Chris Carter, and the   
fine folks at Ten-Thirteen Productions; 20th Century Fox has their mitts in   
there, too. The songs "Point Me In the Direction of Albuquerque" [written by   
Tony Romeo], and "Echo Valley 2-6809" [written by Kathy Cooper & Rupert Holmes-  
yes, *that* Rupert Holmes ;-) ] were borrowed from the folks with the groovy  
psychedelic bus. ;-)   
  
FEEDBACK: Loved and adored. :-) Please send Alex. ;-)  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Lines bracketed by double-colons [::"yadda, yadda, yadda"::]  
indicate what the character is thinking.  
  
  
  
"Echo Valley 2-6809" (1/1)  
by Krychick...aka AnnieM  
  
  
  
A Saturday evening, around 6pm.  
  
  
"Ahhh..."  
  
Dana Scully had just slipped off her shoes and propped up her tired feet  
after an afternoon of shopping. Not one of her *usual* activities, to be sure,   
but every once in awhile she enjoyed wandering around a mall for a few hours.   
Sometimes she even treated herself to a little trinket, one of those things  
that are totally unnecessary, yet great fun to have. Today had been one of  
those times.  
  
She'd been passing by the NRM, when a colorful display caught her attention.  
It was some sort of timeline for Seventies kitsch-pop, adorned with old covers  
of 'Tiger Beat', '16', and so on. A tv suspended in a corner of the window  
was running the Davy Jones episode of "The Brady Bunch". Dana stood there a  
moment, her mind briefly thrown back to a time when her biggest responsibilities  
in life were doing her homework and eating all of the vegetables on her plate.  
The thought made her smile.  
  
She was about to resume walking, when a particular CD caught her eye. She   
debated the idea for about half a second; before she knew it, she'd gone inside,   
plucked the CD from the rack, and taken it up to the checkout counter.   
She'd felt a little self-conscious as she handed the disc to the clerk, but the   
spiky-haired kid at the register didn't even seem to notice what she was buying,   
let alone have any sort of opinion on it. For this, Dana was relieved. When he   
handed her the bag, she'd stuffed it in her purse like so much contraband.  
  
Now, in the privacy of her own home, Dana would be able to enjoy the guilty   
pleasure she had treated herself to. She slid the CD from the bag, gazing at the cover with a grin...  
  
"The Partridge Family: Greatest Hits"  
  
She was still smiling as she cracked the seal and popped the disc into the  
stereo. She cranked up the volume, pulled her copper tresses back into a  
ponytail, and headed for her bedroom closet to locate a particular memory.  
Both lost in reverie and focused on her search, Dana never heard either of  
her phones ring.  
  
*****  
  
*...chrrrp...chrrrp...chrrrp*  
  
"Damn...where is she...?" Fox Mulder mumbled to himself as he snapped the  
Nokia shut for the second time. He pocketed the phone, and ran a hand along  
his jawline, staring blankly ahead.  
  
*HONK!*  
  
The irritated blast of the impatient driver behind him indicated to Mulder  
that the traffic light had turned green.  
  
"All right...all right...pull the bug *out* of your ass...," he muttered,  
proceeding through the intersection.  
  
Mulder had spent much of that afternoon reviewing files from a case that he  
and Scully had wrapped up earlier in the week. Upon finishing, both the clock  
on the wall and the spirally rumbling in his stomach made Mulder realize it was  
time to grab a bite to eat. He'd decided to give Scully a ring and see if  
she'd care to join him.  
  
When there was no answer on her home phone, it wasn't too big a deal -  
sometimes Scully had her machine turned off. But when she didn't respond to  
her cell, Mulder grew concerned. ::"It's probably nothing...":: he thought  
to himself, as he turned the Taurus toward the direction of Scully's apartment.  
  
*****  
  
"Ooof! *Whew*..."  
  
Dana sat back on her heels, brushing aside a wayward strand of hair that had  
fallen across her eyes. She was sitting on the floor near her bed; in front  
of her was one of those fold-it-yourself storage boxes that she had dragged  
from somewhere near the back of her closet. She removed the lid and began  
carefully removing items...a redheaded Talking Stacey doll, long since mute...  
a child's Captain's cap, with 'Starbuck' embroidered on the brim in yellow-gold  
thread...a blue Nerf football...a framed 8 x 10 glossy of Donny Osmond,  
autographed 'To Dana: Love, Donny'...an obviously much-read copy of  
'Charlotte's Web'...and there, near the bottom, between 'The Children's  
Illustrated Bible' and 'Richard Scarry's Best Storybook Ever', were the  
memories she sought.  
  
It was a spiral-bound photo album covered in blue denim; the words 'Dana's  
Pictures' had been added to the front cover with a black magic marker, in the  
most careful approximation of the Palmer Method an eight-year old was capable  
of. Having found her prize, Dana stretched out on the rug on her stomach,  
and began paging through the book, fingering the cross at her neck and absently  
singing along with "Point Me In the Direction of Albuquerque" as she did so.  
  
::"So many good memories...":: she thought to herself, allowing the photos to  
carry her mind back to when her family was whole...when *she* was whole.  
Back to a time when Ahab could dispel all the boogeymen with the flick of a  
lightswitch and a hug.  
  
But Ahab was no longer here, nor was Missy. And Bill...well, she'd never  
been particularly close to her brother. She still had her mother, thank God,  
and Mulder.  
  
::"Mulder...":: Scully smiled. With Mulder by her side, she had the  
strength to go on, to stand up to all of the Morley-smoking, prosthetic-limbed,  
impeccably-groomed boogeymen of her adult life. Men far more terrifying than  
anything her young mind could ever have conjured up so many years ago. She  
drew in a deep breath; exhaling slowly, she turned another page, continuing  
her journey through the past...  
  
*****  
  
Mulder stood outside Scully's door, knocking for the third time. She *had*  
to be home; he'd not only seen her car when he arrived, now he could hear music  
playing inside. He decided to be a bit forward and use the key Scully had  
given him. Gingerly, he opened the door and entered, casting a dubious  
glance at the open CD case on the coffee table.  
  
::"The Partridge Family...?":: "Scully...? Hey, Scully! You home?"  
  
"Mulder? Mulder! I'm in here, in the bedroom...come on back!"  
  
"And who says there is no God," Mulder mumbled softly, smiling as he crossed  
the room.  
  
*****  
  
The door to Scully's bedroom indeed was open, so Mulder peeked his head inside;  
he was both perplexed and charmed by the sight of his partner sprawled out on  
the floor, surrounded by the souvenirs of her youth.  
  
"Second childhood?" he offered with a smirk.  
  
"Don't you ever knock?" She didn't look up from her photo album, but Mulder  
*could* see a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.  
  
"Don't you ever *answer* a knock? Or your phones, for that matter?" Mulder  
shot back with, as he slid down to the floor beside Scully, leaning back  
against the side of her bed.  
  
She looked up at that remark. "Phones..? Oh, Mulder, I'm sorry; I have that  
damn stereo up too loud anyway-" She moved to stand and go turn down the  
volume, when Mulder gently tugged at her shirttail, pulling her back down  
onto the floor next to him.  
  
Mulder waved a hand in the air. "That's alright, don't worry about it..."  
He leaned forward, reaching for the photo album. "May I?"  
  
Scully shrugged. "Sure...be my guest."  
  
"I'm gonna enjoy this...any nudie shots on a bearskin rug I should know  
about? 'Point mee-ee-ee-*ee* in the direction of *Al*-buh-ker-eee...I need to  
get *ho*-oh-oh-ome...and help me get *ho*-oh-oh-ome...'" he sang along as he  
leafed through the heavy pages of photos.  
  
She pointedly ignored the question, but Dana was amused by her partner's  
little singalong.  
  
"Mulder, I never would have pegged you as a Partridge Family fan."  
  
"Oh, Scully...there are many dark secrets in my past," he teased. Mulder  
shook his head. "Nahhh...Samantha used to play their records morning, noon,  
and night...drove me nuts. She was *convinced* that one day she'd grow up to  
be Mrs. David Cassidy...ohhh- what's this?"  
  
The photo that caught Mulder's eye was dated 'Halloween, 1971', of Scully and  
Melissa, ages 7 and 9, respectively. They were wearing matching maroon velvet  
suits and poofy white shirts that looked *very* familiar. Melissa had a  
'shag' haircut, and a string of pooka shells around her neck; while little Dana  
struggled to hang onto a bass guitar that was almost as big as she was.  
  
"Apparently your sister was similarly convinced?" Mulder opined. "What's  
with you and the bass?"  
  
Scully blushed, dipping her head. "Danny played bass."  
  
Mulder gave her a questioning look. "Danny...? Danny Bona- you liked *Danny*?"  
  
Scully didn't look up, but nodded slightly.  
  
Mulder was having a grand old time with this new revelation about his  
partner's past. "Hee-hee-hee...you liked Danny!"  
  
"Well, we both had red hair...and he was the smart one."  
  
"You liked *Danny*!"  
  
Scully gave him a small *thwak* on the shoulder, giggling. "Oh, stop! Like  
*you* never had any weird crushes when you were a kid...besides, you seem to  
know an awful lot about them for something that supposedly drove you nuts."  
  
Mulder tapped the side of his head with his forefinger. "Eidetic memory-  
remember? Anyway, if it makes you feel better, *I* thought Mrs. Partridge  
was pretty hot."  
  
Scully gave him 'the look'. "You would."  
  
"Well, she *was*..."  
  
Mulder's voice trailed off as he heard the opening lyrics of "Echo Valley  
2-6809"...  
  
'We grew up together...  
with ferris wheels, and sunshine laughter;  
the rainbow, love, that lasted after the rain...woh-oh-oh...  
  
And now we're separated...  
and I've become a lonely runner;  
and when I rest...I hurt, and I wonder, if I'll ever see you again...'  
  
Mulder sighed heavily, and drew his knees up to his chest, resting his arms  
against them; he hung his head, shaking it softly.  
  
"I miss her every day, Scully."  
  
Scully tucked her legs beneath her. Sitting up on her knees, she wrapped an  
arm around Mulder's stooped shoulders, and the other across his chest, drawing  
him sideways into her embrace. She stroked his cheek, and gently rested  
her chin against his temple.  
  
"I know," she whispered, her lips brushing lightly against his hair.  
"But...sometimes the happiness of the memory is worth feeling the pain that  
comes along with it."  
  
The song continued...  
  
'I never been much for writing...  
'cause what do you say to a dream that's dying?  
a fragile lifeline that's untying, oh no...woh-oh-oh...  
  
Now, I can't face the sunrise...  
lightin' up a road to nowhere;  
where you are, I have to go there...are you waiting?...I got to know...'  
  
Mulder reached up, stroking Scully's arm. "Thanks, partner," he murmured  
softly into her neck.  
  
She kissed the top of his head. "Anytime."  
  
They sat there a moment on Scully's floor, until the silence was ended by a  
very loud rumble from Mulder's stomach. The somberness of the moment broken,  
they chuckled together at the sound.  
  
"That's right...I came here to ask you if you wanted to get something to eat."   
Mulder stood, and helped Scully to her feet.  
  
She nodded. "Yeah...yeah, I do; I think a pizza would be pretty good right  
about now."  
  
"Wanna rent a movie, too?"  
  
"Sure." Another nod.  
  
"'SpiceWorld'...?"  
  
"Don't push it, Mulder."  
  
  
***END***   
  
Thanks for reading! :-)  
  
  
~Krychick...aka AnnieM  
  
Shirley: "I do NOT vo-dee-o-doh-doh!"  
Laverne: "You vo-dee-OH..."  
  



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